New Delhi: A Catholic church in Delhi was gutted under mysterious circumstances yesterday, police said.
The caretakers of the church have alleged the involvement of some unidentified men in the fire. Police have not ruled out any possibility and have begun a probe.
The blaze was noticed around 7.15 am at the Saint Sebastian’s Church in east Delhi’s Dilshad Garden area by a chowkidar (guard) who informed the Delhi Fire Service and the caretakers.
“We all rushed to the spot and found flames coming out of the prayer hall on the ground floor and the balcony on the first floor,” Father Stanley said.
Four fire tenders were pressed into service and the blaze was controlled within three hours.
“Almost everything was gutted. Nothing is left inside the building. The place where the Bible and other prayer things are kept has been completely destroyed,” said Father Stanley, who lives in Gol Dak Khana area in central Delhi.
The church was established in an area having a mixed population of Hindus and Christians.
Another caretaker said that about 5,000 Christians stay in localities around the church established in 2001.
“The windows were broken and some inflammable substance has also been detected by police,” he said. “It appears that the fire was started intentionally. It might be the handiwork of some miscreants,” he added.IANS
